Some Sense of Security
by Vampirette Knight
Summary: Throughout everything, it was nice to know that they still had each other.


****

disclaimer - what do you think?

words - 1016

**prompts - naruto dying, akatsuki attacks, "Some Sense of Security" by Saosin.**

****A/N - I don't know where this one came from.

**

* * *

**

_So what have we done?_

_With X's and O's to mark our way home._

_It seems as though we've forgotten,_

_the way we move._

_

* * *

_

The woods were silent around them, eerie silent. Their footsteps sounded throughout the void forest.

_Pitter, patter._

Unable to contain the overwhelming grief that shinobi usually controlled, Sakura yelled desperately.

"Naruto, we're coming." That was all it took. Three figures had surrounded Sai and herself, outnumbering them. Their menacing eyes bore into hers. The forest began to sway around her, blurring. The scenery soon changed to a village. A little boy was running, terror written clearly on his face. He ran barefoot, panting heavily. His foot caught a rock and he fell causing a _thump _to be heard.

"No please, I –"

A figure in a dark cloak approached him, a sword raised. Everything seemed to have frozen. Then, as if in slow motion, the blade descended on the poor boy, aiming right for his neck. Centimeters away until-

"Kai." Sakura's determined concentration broke the genjutsu. "Not this time." She muttered. Sai took out a scroll and began painting something down.

"Go, dickless needs your help." He commanded. Sakura mentally laughed, how could he joke in a time like this? When the Akatsuki were so close to hurting her best friend. However, that was all the probing she needed, for she bolted towards the pull of Naruto's chakra.

_Naruto, hang in there._

Sakura raced to the scene, her own chakra diminishing swiftly. They had gone two days without eating, after the Akatsuki ransacked their hideout. She noticed more chakras were with him now, Kami she hoped she wasn't too late. She first spotted the blonde hair in movement. Sakura's breathing became heavy. Her eyes adjusted to the quick movements, and she stared in horror.

Where was his _arm?_

* * *

_Why write with confidence,_

_why try to save them?_

_We try not to forget,_

_it's so much better there._

_ Did you think you could make it on your own?_

* * *

He was fighting with an Akatsuki member, only one was left. The others probably went after Yamato. Sakura took a senbon out of her weapon pouch and aimed it at the person's jugular. She flicked her wrist and ran to Naruto, exposing herself to the open. Sakura prayed that the senbon worked. If it had, the person would be rendered unconscious. A body fell unmercifully to the ground and she speculated that it had indeed been a success. She rushed to Naruto's side, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Naruto what _happened?_" She half shrieked. Naruto gave her a sheepish grin. His right eye was swollen and closed, blood dribbling down his cheek, while evidently his right arm seemed missing. A furious wound to his abdomen stated that this boy needed healing fast, Kuuybi vessel or not. Sakura sacrificed her miniscule amount of chakra to heal the boy – no, man, that was like her brother.

"Ne, Sakura-chan. It's nothing. Just gotta find the missing limb in question…" Naruto winced when Sakura applied pressure to the wound, ceasing the blood flow.

"You are such an idiot!" Sakura said, with tearless sobs. Naruto placed his left hand atop her head, causing her eyes to meet his. His hand came down to cup her cheek.

"But I'm _your_ idiot." Naruto chuckled.

"Ugh, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not worth you dying!" Sakura became ferocious whenever Naruto sacrificed himself for her.

"You're right, you worth much more than that." Sakura slapped him lightly. "Oi, Sakura-chan."

Sakura began muttering unbecoming obscenities under her breath, while frivolously healing Naruto's most prominent injuries. Naruto had caught the phrase 'Damn ramen loving selfless bastard. Gunna get himself killed…' Sakura began stitching Naruto's right arm back together with chakra. She hoped that they were alone and that no enemies were around. Both she and Naruto's chakra were shot. And she didn't even know where –

"Ne, Sakura-chan. Where's the bastard Sai?"

"I have no clue." Sakura focused on the task at hand, wanting to heal Naruto's arm properly so it was not attached the wrong way. She bent his dislocated shoulder back into place.

"Ouch. Easy, Sakura-chan."

"Sorry." She murmured, her hands glowing with chakra.

"You know, you really are worth dying for." Naruto said smugly. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Well, you're not going to die today. Sorry."

Naruto laughed.

* * *

_So what have you done to make yourself a little bit happier?_

_When you said I'd feel nothing,_

_I'm giving up, I give up._

_Don't tell me how to get somewhere better._

_This won't mean anything, tonight._

* * *

Sakura shook her head, as if she were scolding a child. "I can't believe you did this. You disobeyed orders."

Naruto closed the eye that was uninjured as he leaned his head into Sakura's warmth. "I know."

"How could you?" Sakura shouted. He could have sworn he felt tears hitting his cheeks, but he was numb all over, and he couldn't really tell. Sakura desperately poured her chakra into the blonde, healing as many wounds as she could.

"You were in danger." He stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

She finished healing his stomach and arm at that point, and she looked at him with a furious expression as he opened his eye. "That doesn't matter!" she hissed. Then more quietly, "So were you."

And he laughed. It seemed so absurd to do at this time, but he laughed and Sakura's heart broke a little.

"Naruto, what would I do if you were killed?"

"You have the bastard and his clone. And the perv."

She shook her head and stroked his cheek, trying to heal his battered eye. "I need you."

I need you to help me get stronger.

Naruto was too exhausted to move, so he settled for laying in Sakura's lap.

"You could have died just now too, you know." He stated softly, referring to her running out into the open without looking.

She smiled a little brokenly. "I guess you rubbed off on me then, you idiot."

He nodded, taking slow breaths. "It's going to be alright." He assured her.

And Sakura looked up at the sky, clutching the blonde to her heart close, holding on for dear life. Because she couldn't lose him, she just couldn't. And she hoped he was right. That even in this mess, they would be alright.

Maybe they would.


End file.
